A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants

This was really cool. It looked stunning and the writing was humorous yet informative. While personally, I would've loved even more scientific explanations of the mechanisms of the poisons, it's clear that this book is meant to be accessible for all ages and education backgrounds. For what it tried to do, it succeeded very well.

I'm a sucker for a pretty picture...and these plants are gorgeous!! I actually read this out loud to my 11 year old son and we found it so interesting. Having Lincoln in it helped my son connect to the book since it was a historical figure he knew about. It's amazing all the uses and misuses plants have!

A beautifully illustrated compendium that come with useful and digestible facts (they maybe poisonous but they are cool, I promise!).

I really appreciated the author's research and presentation in this book; it would either act as a great starting point for further research or an overall fun, informing read to those who wish to learn about poisonous plants. It was both for me and I would definitely consult this book for my future writing projects.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the E-ARC!

I LOVED this book, from the beautiful illustrations to the wry and pithy writing, it was as a fun and informative trip into the world of poisonous plants. It should not be marketed as a children’s book, I think doing so will really limit sales

Absolutely enthralling! I devoured this book in a couple of hours. The full color pages are gorgeous and add to the information. The natural world is fascinating and poison plants are no exception. I loved this incredible nonfiction read - ties in well with popular fiction titles like Belladonna - we can understand more why Adalyn Grace went with that as her poison of choice.

I absolutely loved this book; it was like the intersection on the Venn diagram of things I find interesting: weird scientific facts, true crime, revenge, historical anecdotes. It's also filled with gorgeous illustrations and photographs. I will be needing hard copy of this one.

There are twenty-five chapters on individual toxic plants, from Belladonna to Hemlock to Opium. They are full of detailed science, effects on the body, history, mentions in mythology, true stories of their use, even warnings when the details were unsettling or gross.

I absolutely devoured this one, and probably made the man in my house nervous as I read snippets out loud with enthusiasm, ha.

Thank you so much to Lerner Publishing Group / Zest Books for this ARC to review!

This book was very informative but in a simple way. It wasn’t information overload. I really liked the layout of the books too since it departed out the information into different sections and sprinkled other information by using pictures and captions. I also really liked how each chapter began with the name of the plant, both scientific and common, with a picture of it. Also, it had a list of names for the plant that were the common names from different regions at the end of each chapter.

This book was so much more than I expected. I thought it would be a kids book and it was a very descriptive and educational book! I think middle and high schools would benefit from this informative book. I loved learning about all the different deadly plants. I do love to hike, but this book make me think twice about walking thru brush now!

I loved this book! Hirsch's many poisonous plants are wonderfully researched; some are creepy and others are more scientific. One can not forget the illustrations, which are gorgeous and plentiful. I have noticed a rise in the popularity of fun factual books by many of our younger patrons and this one will surely delight many!

Loved every inch of this beautiful book. It’s both informative and fun content. I was super engaged in every page, and the art was gorgeous. Additionally, I learned a ton about the history of poisonous plants, and some of the pop culture around some of the most deadly. This book would make a fabulous gift for any gardener in your life, and is excellent informative material to add to your reference library. I give this 5 solid stars.

This is one of those books you get to help you get witchy, "do not mess with me" vibes for your house. I love that I could flip into knowledge that people learn the hard way as well. The pictures and layout are wonderfully done and give such life to what can quickly become a dry subject! The little descriptions were sometimes less magical but with it being a factual book, I was very pleased overall.

Such a great read! Highly recommend this book. Loved the attention to detail in explaining how in particularly the plant affects the body. I also like the little cases that introduce the plant. Overall a great book.

This book is filled to the brim with fascinating insight into the world of poisonous plants! I kept pausing my reading to share the facts I was learning with my husband. It reminded me in the best way possible of the science & history fact books every library used to have when I was small. Pared with a gorgeous interior full of beautiful illustrations & pictures from both nature & history, it was a joy to read. I highly recommend it, and will watch for other works from this author!

A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants
By Rebecca E. Hirsch
Wow, I really enjoyed this awesome informative book! I like science, especially when mixed with exciting history and the alure of deadly poisons. I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book! I hope this author writes another book with similar topics.
This book tells the reader about several plant's descriptions and where they grow. Then, she tells a true story or two about how deadly these plants are. Some stories are from hundreds of years ago and some very recent.
A drawing and description with the technical details are also shown. The reason or how the poison is harmful is broken down is also explained for the reader.
Some of the plants include Gympie-Gympie, Belladonna, Datura, Caster Bean, Ergot, Heartbreak Grass, Mandrake, and more.
This is definitely one of my favorite books this year. Easy to understand. Entertaining and informative regardless of the deadly topic. I also think this book would be enjoyed by middle grades to adults. I know that I would have been attracted to this book at 7th grade on up. I'm an old lady now and still enjoy learning.

This is one of the few books in which I have enjoyed reading every single word. There is a wide selection of chosen plants, from around the world, ranging from everyday commonly recognized ones to lesser-known plants. Each section is perfectly balanced with scientific information, a brief story, a history and photographs. I appreciate every book that includes an index because it shows all of the hard work of research that goes into a book. I look forward to seeing it on the bookshelf.

I have always enjoyed books about botany, and this one was right up my alley. I have quite a few botany books, but I love how this book includes snippets of stories that accompany each plant. It makes everything much more memorable for me. I absolutely love this book and can't wait to get a hard copy!

This is such an interesting book. The author goes through a huge variety of plants, sharing stories of how they have been used (whether accidentally or not) to poison throughout history.

The pictures are gorgeous. Detailed and full of rich color. They draw the reader in.

While this book is suggested for YA, I found it fascinating as an adult. I would recommend to anyone with an interest in plants, history, or a combination of the two.

A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants is a wonderfully fun read! I have had such fun in reading this book and I can't wait to share this book with others. The preface issues a warning for those with a light stomach but despite this, I devoured it's contents!

Many scientists have a hard time conveying their research material for general audience but Rebecca Hirsch absolutely thrives. She writes about many surprising and terrifying plants and enraptures her audience with tales of the unfortunate demise caused by those plants.

Fantastic book! I loved the inside peek at the folklore and science of poisonous plants, the gorgeous botanical illustrations, and the macabre tone. Highly recommend!

A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants serves as a great introduction to phytotoxicology or even botany in general. The author introduces each plant with beautiful illustrations and some historically significant events such as infamous cases of poisoning and/or murder. This is followed up with some of the science (ex. Specific toxin) behind the plant and its effects on the human body. Relevant photos are included. I learned a lot about the shocking history of some of the plants such as the opium poppy and the coca plant. There were some plants that I had never heard of like white snakeroot and the manchineel tree. I loved the author’s tone throughout. The author speaks to you as “dear reader,” like it’s a fun conversation. It added to the voice in my head as I read it. It felt like Bridgerton meets Witchcraft. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it got me way more interested in the plants looming in my yard. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.